This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants F32 NS078958 (DTB) and R01 AG033620 (BG).

1. Assemble Flight Tester
<ol>
	<li>Secure flight cylinder to Ring Stand 1 using chain clamps. (Leave approximately 3 cm underneath the cylinder for weigh dish.) 
	(Note: The flight cylinder we use is 90 cm long with a diameter of 13.5 cm.)</li>
	<li>Insert weigh dish with a thin layer of mineral oil underneath the flight cylinder.</li>
	<li>Secure funnel to Ring Stand 2 using a ring clamp and claw clamp. Adjust the height of the funnel so that the bottom of the funnel is flush with the top of the flight cylinder....

<ol>
	<li>Benzer, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+dissection+of+behavior.">Genetic dissection of behavior.</a> Sci. Am. 229, 24-37 (1973).</li><li>Ali, Y. O., Escala, W., Ruan, K., Zhai, R. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assaying+locomotor,+learning,+and+memory+deficits+in+Drosophila+models+of+neurodegeneration.">Assaying locomotor, learning, and memory deficits in Drosophila models of neurodegeneration.</a> J. Vis. Exp. , e2504 (2011).</li><li>de Vries, S. E., Clandinin, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optogenetic+Stimulation+of+Escape+Behavior+in+Drosophila+melanogaster.">Optogenetic Stimulation of Escape Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.</a> J. Vis. Exp. , e50192 (2013).</li><li>Mundiyanapurath, S., Certel, S., Kravitz, E. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studying+aggression+in+Drosophila+(fruit+flies).">Studying aggression in Drosophila (fruit flies).</a> J. Vis. Exp. , e155 (2007).</li><li>Nichols, C. D., Becnel, J., Pandey, U. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Methods+to+assay+Drosophila+behavior.">Methods to assay Drosophila behavior.</a> J. Vis. Exp. , e3795 (2012).</li><li>Shiraiwa, T., Carlson, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Proboscis+extension+response+(PER)+assay+in+Drosophila.">Proboscis extension response (PER) assay in Drosophila.</a> J. Vis. Exp. , e193 (2007).</li><li>Lloyd, T. E., Taylor, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flightless+flies:+Drosophila+models+of+neuromuscular+disease.">Flightless flies: Drosophila models of neuromuscular disease.</a> Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1184, e1-e20 (2010).</li><li>Atkinson, N. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+separation+of+two+behavioral+phenotypes+by+a+mutation+affecting+the+promoters+of+a+Ca-activated+K+channel.">Molecular separation of two behavioral phenotypes by a mutation affecting the promoters of a Ca-activated K channel.</a> J. Neurosci. 20, 2988-2993 (2000).</li><li>Atkinson, N. S., Robertson, G. A., Ganetzky, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+component+of+calcium-activated+potassium+channels+encoded+by+the+Drosophila+slo+locus.">A component of calcium-activated potassium channels encoded by the Drosophila slo locus.</a> Science. 253, 551-555 (1991).</li><li>Elkins, T., Ganetzky, B., Wu, C. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Drosophila+mutation+that+eliminates+a+calcium-dependent+potassium+current.">A Drosophila mutation that eliminates a calcium-dependent potassium current.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 8415-8419 (1986).</li><li>Gargano, J. W., Martin, I., Bhandari, P., Grotewiel, M. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+iterative+negative+geotaxis+(RING):+a+new+method+for+assessing+age-related+locomotor+decline+in+Drosophila.">Rapid iterative negative geotaxis (RING): a new method for assessing age-related locomotor decline in Drosophila.</a> Exp. Gerontol. 40, 386-395 (2005).</li><li>Fry, S. N., Rohrseitz, N., Straw, A. D., Dickinson, M. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Visual+control+of+flight+speed+in+Drosophila+melanogaster.">Visual control of flight speed in Drosophila melanogaster.</a> J. Exp. Biol. 212, 1120-1130 (2009).</li><li>Mronz, M., Lehmann, F. O. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+free-flight+response+of+Drosophila+to+motion+of+the+visual+environment.">The free-flight response of Drosophila to motion of the visual environment.</a> J. Exp. Biol. 211, 2026-2045 (2008).</li></ol>

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Using the methods described here, we have been able to rapidly assess flight performance of a large number of Drosophila mutants, providing greater efficiency than previously possible. For our experiments, we routinely separate males and females and raise them at low density (less than 20 flies/vial) to limit aggression that could damage wings. Another important consideration is to control properly for differences in flight performance owing to differences in genetic background. We also find it helps to allow fl...

Drosophila has long been used to study the genetic basis of behavior1, and researchers have devised a number of ways to analyze various types of behavior2-6. Flies have been particularly useful in providing useful models of neuromuscular disorders7. A common assay used to study locomotor behavior is flight performance. The original flight tester is useful for identifying flight defective mutants and for quantitative assessment of flight ability1, but it has several shortcomings that limit its application for high throughput screens: the use of oil-coated cylinders is messy and cumbersome, certain features such as the length of the cylinder and introduction of flies into the tube with variable force reduce quantitative accuracy; and it is difficult to recover live flies from the tester. To overcome these limitations, we have modified the flight tester to include a number of improvements. We added a &#34;drop tube&#34; to introduce flies to eliminate variability between experiments and users. We use removable acrylic sheets coated with an adhesive that allows for easier cleanup and recovery of individual flies. We have increased the length of the flight tube to improve quantitative accuracy and reliability. Finally, we use a digital camera and imaging software to calculate the landing heights of flies. We believe these improvements will be useful to any laboratory interested in conducting large-scale genetic screens for defects in flight performance.

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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">mineral oil</td>
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		<tr height="33">
			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">polystyrene weighing dish</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">S67091A</td>
			<td><a href="http://www.fishersci.com">www.fishersci.com</a></td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">ImageJ Software</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">National Institutes of Health</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">_</td>
			<td>http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">digital camera</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Sony</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">fine forceps</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">polycarbonate cylinder (drop tube)</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">flight cylinder (acrylic)</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">ring stand (x2)</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">Three-prong extension clamps (x2)</td>
			<td style="width:171px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">05-769-7Q</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">funnel</td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">chain clamps (x2)</td>
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			<td style="width:132px;">21573-275</td>
			<td><a href="http://www.vwr.com">www.vwr.com</a></td>
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			<td height="33" style="height:33px;width:216px;">glass vials</td>
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</table>

an improved method for accurate and rapid measurement of flight performance in drosophila

Drosophila has proven to be a useful model system for analysis of behavior, including flight. The initial flight tester involved dropping flies into an oil-coated graduated cylinder; landing height provided a measure of flight performance by assessing how far flies will fall before producing enough thrust to make contact with the wall of the cylinder. Here we describe an updated version of the flight tester with four major improvements. First, we added a &#34;drop tube&#34; to ensure that all flies enter the flight cylinder at a similar velocity between trials, eliminating variability between users. Second, we replaced the oil coating with removable plastic sheets coated in Tangle-Trap, an adhesive designed to capture live insects. Third, we use a longer cylinder to enable more accurate discrimination of flight ability. Fourth we use a digital camera and imaging software to automate the scoring of flight performance. These improvements allow for the rapid, quantitative assessment of flight behavior, useful for large datasets and large-scale genetic screens.

Figure 1A shows a schematic of the updated flight tester assembly. Figure 1B illustrates the track design allow the camera to take a panoramic image without blocking the field of view. Representative results are shown in Figure 2, where the flight performance of slowpoke mutant flies, which have a known flight defect8-10, are compared to wild-type Canton-S flies. Control flies consistently land near the top of the cylinder, with very little s...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Improved Method for Accurate and Rapid Measurement of Flight Performance in Drosophila at JoVE.com

An Improved Method for Accurate and Rapid Measurement of Flight Performance in Drosophila

Here we describe a method for rapid and accurate measurement of flight performance in Drosophila, enabling high-throughput screening.

An Improved Method for Accurate and Rapid Measurement of Flight Performance in Drosophila

Drosophila has proven to be a useful model system for analysis of behavior, including flight. The initial flight tester involved dropping flies into an ...

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11.6K visualizações.  University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Aqui nós descrevemos um método para a medição rápida e precisa do desempenho de vôo em Drosophila, permitindo seleção de alto rendimento. 